Royal Patronage has graced some of the best racecourses in the world, but his finest day could come at Royal Randwick in Saturday’s Epsom Handicap after finding his way to Australia.
The six-year-old arrives at Randwick as the $4.80 favourite for the spring mile, his journey having taken him via the famous tracks at Newmarket, York and Epsom – which gives Saturday’s race its name – as well as Saratoga, Belmont and Churchill Downs across the Atlantic in the United States.
Royal Patronage made a winning Australian debut in the Tramway Stakes at Randwick last monthCredit: Getty Images
He has appearances in the 2000 Guineas and English Derby and group 1 outings in the Derbies at Saratoga and Belmont under his belt. But he has never been in better form since joining the Tulloch Lodge team of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
“When you look at his form, he has been to a few racecourses and racing meetings that are on buckets lists,” Bott said.
“But his form was sound and for a horse of his age, he was lightly raced when we bought him for 260,000 guineas [$600,000] at the Tatts Sale at the end of last year. He is a group 3 winner at York over 1400m and a group 2 winner [at Newmarket] over a mile as a two-year-old, so we thought he had a bit of speed there.
“You don’t really know until you get them here, and we gave him a couple of preparations to find out what he had. At the beginning of the spring after a couple of barrier trials I thought the Epsom was his race, and he gets here in very good form.”
Royal Patronage stormed to victory in the Tramway Stakes before a game third in the 7 Stakes behind Fangirl at his two Australian starts and appears to be building towards a peak performance on Saturday. Not even an outside draw of barrier 17 could upset Bott heading into the Epsom.
“In the Tramway, he jumped and put himself in the race and if he does that again he will have the speed to be right up there but after the other day we wouldn’t be scared of going back if we have too,” Bott said.
“He was tardy the other day and was still able to show a turn of foot in the straight, and it took a Fangirl to run him down. He brings weight-for-age form, which is usually the right form for these Randwick miles.”
Tulloch Lodge will also have Major Beel in the Epsom, while their Metropolitan team is Military Mission and Serpentine as they try to repeat the success of Just Fine from last year.
Waterhouse shares the record of Epsom winners with her father Tommy Smith on seven, and Bott thinks they can make it eight on the weekend.
“Traditionally, this has been a very good day for our stable and to get another Epsom would be great for Gai to have the record,” Bott said.
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